Orthopedic apparatus



July 2,1940. w. D. we FORD 2206.038

ORTHOPEDIC APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTOR N EYS y 1940' w..n. LAQNG FORD 2,206,038

ORTHOPEDIC APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W2 Zanyffirci.

ATTORNEY July 2, 1940. w. D. LANG FORD ORTHOPEDIC APPARATUS Filod Aug. 5, i937 s sheets sheet s T Wu ATTORNEYS Patented July 2, 1940 UNITED sTA'res PATENT oFFics' 2,206,038 ORTHOPEDIC' APPARATUS Walter D. Lang Ford, Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico Application August 5,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to orthopedic apparatus and has for an object to provide novel means for most effectively manipulating the limbs of a patient to flex and stretch the muscles so that deformed bones may assume the positions nature intended them to.

A further object is to provide novel jaws which may be adjusted to comfortably receive the foot of a patient and squeeze the foot as in a mouth, to reshape the foot, as for instance, a club foot, and reshape the bones and return the bones to normal position.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a novel foot rest and means for manipulating the foot rest to flex the ankle muscles during the corrective treatment.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of orthopedic apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a top shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation showing the adjustable seat and seat frame.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing the mechanism for moving the seat longitudinally of the seat frame.

Figure 5 is a horizontal detail sectional View taken on the line 55 of Figure 4 showing the track and the rack of the seat adjusting mechanism.

Figure 6 is a side elevation, with parts in section, showing the brake for locking the seat stationary.

Figure '7 is a detail cross sectional View of the brake taken on the line 'l-I of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the brake drum and shaft bearing carried thereby.

Figure 9 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a detail cross sectional view showing the foot rest actuating mechanism.

Figure 11 is a front elevation with parts in section, showing the foot rest actuating mechanism.

drawings forming part plan view of the apparatus 1937, Serial No. 157,624

Figure 12 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a side elevation of the foot rest.

Figure 14 is a plan view of the foot rest.

Figure 15 is a rear elevation of the foot rest.

Figure 16 is a longitudinal sectional view through the compression jaws and showing the means for adjusting the same.

Figure 1'? is an end elevation of the parts shown in Figure 16.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, I!) designates a main frame preferably formed of angle iron, the same having angle iron legs H. A seat frame designated in general by the numeral I2 is supported by. the legs above the top of the main frame, as best shown in Figure 1. A seat 13 is supported by the seat frame and an inclined back rest [4 is pivotally mounted as shown at IS on the seat and is adjustably mounted to rock in any desired angular position with respect to the seat, there being a slotted segment I6 carried by the seat and a set screw I1 carried by the back rest to permit of this adjustmen A pair of jaws l8 and I9, shown best in Figure 16, is supported upon the front legs of the main frame by angle iron brackets 20 and by rods 2|, best shown in Figures 1 and 2. The jaws are hollow casings each provided in the top with a padded concave depression 22 to receive the free leg of the patient when one of the legs is being operated upon. The jaws are provided in their confronting inner side walls with concave depressions 23 which are provided with respective pads 24 that are pivoted at one end to the bottom of the depression. At the free end each pad is swivelly connected to a screw 25 which" is screw threadedly engaged through a bracket 26, best shown in Figure 16. The screws project beyond the outer end walls of the jaws and each are provided with arespective button 21, By turning the screws manually the pads may be enclosed upon the patients foot for compression purposes during the corrective treatment.

One of the jaws is provided with a bracket 28 and a shaft 29 is swivelly passed through the bracket and is equipped on opposite sides of the bracket with stop collars 30. The shaft projects through the outer end wall of one ,of the jaws and is equipped with a crank handle 3| for rotating the shaft. The shaft passes loosely through openings 32 formed in the inner confronting end walls of the jaws and is screw threadedly engaged in an opening 33 formed in the beforementioned bracket 26. The shaft forms means for moving the jaws endwise relatively to each other to properly position the jaws for compressing the foot while the free leg is supported in one of the padded depressions 22. By referring now to Figure 2 it will be seen that back of each jaw a stationary rod 34 is secured at its ends in one of the legs H and in an angle iron bracket 35. A rod 36 is slidably passed through a bracket 3'! which depends from the top wall of the jaw at the depression 22. The rear end of the rod is provided with an eye 38 which encircles the rod 34. The front end of the rod is equipped with a wing nut 39, best shown in Figures 1, 2 and 17. Either of the jaws, E8 or l9, may be locked stationary in a predetermined position transversely of the supporting frame by screwing up tight its wing nut 39. 'I'hereupon when the crank handle 3| is turned the other jaw will be moved toward or away from the stationary jaw according to the direction of rotation of the crank handle.

The foot correcting device is best shown in Figures 1, 2 and 10 to 15 inclusive. The device comprises a foot rest 40 having strap receiving loops 4| on the upper side and having longitudinal guide flanges 42 on the bottom face. The flanges 42 freely slide over similar flanges 43 formed on a plate 44 which is provided with a shaft 45 which is journaled in bearings id carried by standards 41 which rise from a bed plate 48, carried by angle iron braces .9, as best shown in Figure 2, by cross braces 56 carried by the main frame.

Near the toe portion of the plate 44 a link 5i is pivoted to the underneath face of the plate by a ball and socket connection 52, as best shown in Figure 11. The bottom of the link is pivoted to a crank arm 53 by a ball and socket connection 54. The crank arm is fixed to a shaft 55 which is journaled in bearings 56, best shown in Figure 10, formed in the bottom of a gear housing 5?. A segment 4, carried by the shaft 55, meshes with a worm 58 rotatably mounted in.the housing by roller bearings 59 and which is equipped with a shaft 60, having a crank handle 6| best shown in Figures 1 and 2, to turn the shaft and rock the foot rest in the bearings 46 for flexing the muscles of the ankle to permit deformed bones to return to natural position.

The adjustment mechanism for the seat It is best shown in Figures 3 to 9 inclusive. Referring more particularly to Figure 4 it will be seen that the seat i3 is provided with side flanges 52 in which is journaled the ends of a hollow shaft 63 having a pair of pinions 64 thereon which engage respective racks 65 on tracks 66 carried by the longitudinal frame bars 67 of the seat. The shaft is equipped with a crank handle 68 by means of which the shaft may be rotated to move the seat longitudinally of the track.

The seat is guided during movement on the track by guide rollers 69 which are carried by respective shafts l0 journaled in brackets i 5 disposed at the front and rear endsof the seat, as best shown in Figure 3. These guide rollers 69 are grooved to receive longitudinal guide ribs 12 formed on the track 66, as best shown in Figure 4. Guide rollers 13 are secured to the side flanges 62 of the seat and engage angle iron tracks i l carried by the track 66. Thus during movement of the seat to various adjusted positions the seat is held against wobbling.

For locking the seat in various adjusted positions a pair of friction brakes are provided, each comprising a brake drum which is bolted to the underneath face of the seat as shown at 16.

A shaft 17 passes through the hollow shaft 63 and is equipped beyond the crank handle 68 with a button 78 by means of which the shaft may he slid longitudinally in the hollow shaft. The shaft 7'! operates a cam 79, best shown in Figure 6, which terminates in a heart shaped head which is interposed between cam rollers 85 on the free ends of brake bands 82 which are pivoted at the lower ends as shown at 83 to links 64 which are pivoted on a common pivot 85 disposed in a bearing bracket 86 formed integral with the hollow shaft 63, as best shown in Figure 6.

The cam 79 is loose in an opening 3? in the hollow shaft 63 and is received in a longitudinal groove in the sliding shaft l? having a shallow end 83 and a deep end 89, as best shown in Figure 7. When the sliding shaft is slid endwise to dis pose the cam 75 in the shallow end of the groove the brake bands are expanded against the brake drum 75. When the shaft is slid in the opposite direction to dispose the cam :9 in the deep end 89 of the groove the cam is withdrawn to release the brake bands 82 from engagement with the brake drum.

In the operation of the device the patient may be placed upon the seat and the seat adjusted by manipulation of the adjusting mechanism to comfortably dispose the patient with one leg resting in one of the padded depressions 22 of the jaws while the foot of the other leg may be strapped to the foot rest 40 for manipulation and adjustment of the bones and muscles. Or, if a compression is to be given the foot of the patient is thrust into the foot receiving concave walls 23 of the jaws i8 and I9 and thereupon the shafts 25 are manipulated to compress the foot at the angle as will be understood.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. Orthopedic apparatus comprising a frame, a foot rest pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the frame, means on the foot rest for binding the patients foot to the foot rest, a link having a ball and socket connection with the toe portion of the foot rest, means for oscillating the link to rock the foot rest on its pivot, and a connection between the foot rest and the frame permitting free sliding movement of the foot rest longitudinally of the frame simultaneously with the pivoting movement of the foot rest.

2. Orthopedic apparatus comprising a frame, a foot rest having strap receiving loops on its upper face and having longitudinal guide flanges on its bottom face, a supporting plate for the foot rest having guide flanges engagable with the guide flanges of the foot rest to permit free sliding movement of the foot rest on the supporting plate, a pivotal connection between the supporting plate and the frame, a link having a ball and socket connection with the underneath face of the supporting plate near the pivot thereof, and means connected to the link for rocking the supporting plate and foot rest simultaneously with sliding movement of the foot rest to flex the muscles of the ankle and permit deformed bones to return to natural position.

WALTER D. LANG FORD. 

